


you are more than you realize

by GalaxyCuup



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Older Dib (Invader Zim), Self-Indulgent, Trans Dib (Invader Zim), Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:13:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27224806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyCuup/pseuds/GalaxyCuup
Summary: Wide ruby eyes study the human as he talks, attentive to the way he fights every word he speaks, how he looks exhausted and conflicted. Zim feels a bit of anger in his chest, not at Dib, but the fact that he couldn’t always understand the things that went on in Dib’s mind. Humans were, oftentimes, very different from Irkens...
Relationships: Dib & Zim (Invader Zim), Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	you are more than you realize

**Author's Note:**

> A trans Dib fic I wrote in an hour at 2 in the morning! Not anything fancy by any means, but I hope you all enjoy. <3

“Do you love me?”

Zim pauses scrolling the void that is his phone, staring for a long moment before rolling over in the plush sheets to give the human next to him a confused look. “What?”

Dib seems to hesitate for a moment, before rephrasing instead of repeating. “Do you like me?”

Speaking suddenly feels like a mistake.

Zim continues to fix him with a weird look before reaching over to gently place a clawed hand on his shoulder. “What do you mean? Of course I love you. Is your silly human brain doing the lies again?” he asks in a tender tone, one that almost makes his partner crack a smile.

Tongue dry, and voice faltering, Dib weakly scooted closer to Zim and pressed his face into his smooth, bare chest. He scrunched his eyes shut and let out a small whimper, head spinning with overwhelming and cruel thoughts that he just couldn’t pacify. The air hung still and tense, and Dib began holding his breath unconsciously, as if waiting for something. He wasn’t really sure what, but what came turned him to putty in a near instant.

The Irken had propped himself up on his right elbow, and raised his left hand to gently work through the tangles and curls in Dib’s thick hair. He scratched his claws lightly against Dib’s scalp before pulling back through the locks and starting on another section. “Zim is here, take your time.” he purred, scooting just a bit closer to his boyfriend to close the gap between them.

“I feel really stupid.” Dib admits after what feels like a whole minute of struggling to speak. “...Like...like I don’t know why I spoke in the first place if I can’t even explain what’s going on.” He grunts, involuntarily tilting his head into Zims touch. “I regret saying anything. The more I talk the more I mess things up and-” Dib cuts himself short, point in case.

Wide ruby eyes study the human as he talks, attentive to the way he fights every word he speaks, how he looks exhausted and conflicted. Zim feels a bit of anger in his chest, not at Dib, but the fact that he couldn’t always understand the things that went on in Dib’s mind. Humans were, oftentimes, very different from Irkens. “If it’s worth something at all, Zim is happy you said something. You don’t always have to know what to say, but at least letting me know you aren’t well is helpful so that I can try to work my magic on you.” he says honestly, gently massaging the pads of his fingers into Dib’s skull.

Dib really can’t deny that he likes the immediate help response he gets from Zim, and that the only way he can get said help response is by speaking up about his mood. He sighs, draping his right arm over Zim’s hip, tangling their legs together. “...I suppose you have a point.”

“Of course I do.” Zim says, hopeful to cheer Dib up.

Some more time passes between the two before anything else is said.

“Sometimes I feel really silly about being trans. I manage to wind myself up into thinking that I’m lying about it. Even though I can feel it affecting me, I can feel the disconnect between my brain and body.” Dib explains suddenly, having spent the silence piecing the words together in his brain to the best of his ability. “And...I’m like...what if it’s something I just made up. And I seem crazy for it? And...and what if you leave me because you realize I’m crazy? That there’s something totally wrong with my brain?” he asks, voice sounding more and more fragile with each passing second. He looks up at Zim now, interrupting the petting-session going on.

Zim looks down at him with an expression of understanding and care. He wants to make Dib’s demons all vanish, but he knows no matter how hard he tries, he can’t. What Zim does know, though, is that he can help at least a little. “First of all, I’ve been with you since we were in highschool, and we’ve been through numerous fights and screaming matches, yet I’m still here. You know why that is, Dib-love? It’s because I love you, from the bottom of my cold Irken heart, I love you. There’s room for only you … and GIR. But mostly you.” he smiles, fingers trailing down to Dib’s cheek and gently cupping it. 

“I know you’re not lying. I know it’s serious, I know it isn’t made up, and I know you can’t see that right now, but this is a real thing that many other humans have gone through.” he pauses, wracking his brain for any other things to say. “I also know the feeling can’t last forever. Zim has seen it himself.” he says. Dib looks at him, tears in his eyes. A wave of relief hits him at the reassurance that Zim doesn’t see him as a lunatic and doesn’t plan to leave him for being ‘unusual’. 

“You promise you mean that?” Dib asked, sounding small despite his great height.

“I promise.” he nodded, sharp teeth poking out as he smiled.

Dib hid his face into Zim’s chest once more, hoping to feel the soothing fingers running through his hair again. He squeezed Zim close, thankful that he returned the affection by gently scratching Dib’s back through his shirt instead, which felt (almost) equally as nice as head pats.

It was undeniable, this was love.

The human often felt unworthy of it, but Zim still gave anyways, and Dib did his best to return it. Knowing he had someone that returned all his feelings made his heart ache in the best way possible.

“Thank you… I love you.” Dib sighed, feeling less anxious and more sleepy.

“Zim loves you, too.” the Irken hummed, closing his eyes as they snuggled close.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, feedback is greatly appreciated! I don't write a lot, but when I do, sharing it is pretty scary.
> 
> Also, for any readers of Breaking Routine, I'm sorry, I don't think I can update it. If I do, it'll be way in the future, but for now my life is absolute chaos. I just moved across the country, and we also have COVID in my household and I have to be the one to run errands and such on top of my work. But hey, maybe I can do more short things like this, that are less committed. :)
> 
> -Rhidley!


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